I had made my way through the tournament, but most of my matches had been won by the skin of my teeth, and I had only the advantage of being evolved from a pursuit predator to thank for it.
Our great endurance had been the one boon that had kept me going, and I was so close now.
I had to win, no matter what. If I lost, the people I was in debt to would come after me and my mate, and probably sell my organs on the black market.
It had been a bad year for my family. My mate had fallen ill, and I had not been able to afford the medical bills – I had to take loans from every creditor willing to give it just to afford her first few treatments, and then I had to go to the mafia as the legal banks started demanding their money back.
To tell the truth, I wasn’t a fighter, the only reason why I hadn’t been tossed out after the first match was my impressive physique.
After all, I was a Frennec, one of the three most physically imposing races in the known galaxy, and I was the only of my kind to ever join one of these underground tournaments.
We Frennecs were a peaceful people, we didn’t fight unless there was no other means to go on, and that was exactly what it was like for me right now.
This was my only chance.
I heard the bell that signaled to the crowds that the match was about to begin.
This was the finals, the big fight, and I was so nervous I felt as if my heart was tearing itself apart.
”Ladies, gentlemen and others! We’re about to witness a match like none ever before seen in the galaxy! This is what you’ve all been waiting for! Now, welcome our first fighter, Tan Boujin, the warrior of the Frennec!”
That was my cue.
I take a deep breath, and step out of the dressing room.
For a moment, I’m blinded by the large spotlights beaming down upon me, and I hear the roar of the crowds.
Were they cheering? For me?
For a moment, I feel a surge of ecstasy. This must be how the actual fighters felt every time they went into the ring.
I felt like a god.
But it lasted just a moment as I got into the ring.
“He’s the local darling, alright, but how does he fare against the champion?! Everybody welcome the five time champion of this tournament, Jonah Steele!”
All it took was a single look at my opponent, and all hope I had of winning simply drained away.
He was enormous.
The human that walked out of the other dressing room was a hulking mountain of muscle, but he moved with the deadly grace of a Mulcat.
My throat went dry, and I felt myself tremble slightly.
He swung himself into the ring as if he was weightless, and landed plainly on his feet.
The entire ring quivered as he lands.
He steps over towards the center, and his eyes meet mine unflinchingly.
His brown eyes have sharpness to them that I’ve never seen in another creature. They were nothing like the calm pools of a frennec, nor did they have the eternally-shifting gaze of the Yuotun.
They looked straight at me, and I felt as if they looked straight through me.
It took all the discipline I had learned in military training not to break up before him.
He was tall, easily a head and a half taller than me, and he was furless, yet I could see tiny hairs covering his arms, chin and bare chest.
His muscles rippled as he reached his arm towards me.
I flinched back, afraid that the monster that stood before me was trying to rip me apart before the gong had even started the fight, but he stopped his hand.
And then he spoke, and his voice was soft and melodic.
“Let’s make this a good fight, eh?”
He didn’t sound angry, nor did it sound like he was trying to scare me further.
No, instead he sounded kind, and calming. It was such a detachment from his looks that I could hardly believe it.
I looked at his hand, and I wasn’t sure what he intended to do with it until the judge elbowed me lightly in the side.
“Yer supposed to shake his hand, mate”
I looked at the judge, and even I could tell that his dialect was faked, but I grasped the human’s hand awkwardly.
The human laughed, and shook my hand gently.
The judge looked between us.
“You both ready?”
The human nods and I repeat the action.
We both walk towards out corners, and the gong rings out.
We circle each other slowly, and my fur is standing straight up from my body.
Any moment now, he’ll dart out and-
I dodge to the side as the human’s fist flashes out.
He barely misses me, and I can hear the air being displaced by the sheer speed of the blow.
It had been way too close.
I can’t just wait for him to attack again, and I strike out, using all the strength of my brief training before the tournament, my career as a construction contractor, and my military training back home.
I hit him square in the stomach, and it feels as if my hand impacted with stone.
But the human staggers back!
It seems like he felt the blow!
I gain some confidence, and we continue to circle each other.
The fight drags on for three rounds, and the human and I both beaten bloody. My black fur is stained with sweat and blood, and I’m breathing heavily, but the human doesn’t even seem bothered!
Not once has he gone down, even though I myself have been thrown to the ground three times.
If I hit the ground again, I lose.
But the human is just smiling!
His nose is bleeding, and his lip is cracked, but he’s just smiling.
“Alright, poofs, let’s give them a finale to remember!”
Just after saying that, the human begins his assault.
I can barely keep up as he seems to have gained speed while I have slowed down from exhaustion!
I hear the crowd going wild in the background, and the commentator shouting into his microphone, but I’m consumed by the effort of just dodging the human’s blows.
I’m forced back, and soon my back is towards the ropes that surround the outer rim of the ring.
This is the end. I can’t back anymore, I can’t dodge, now the human will knock me out, and there will be no way for me to save my fami-
I notice an opening.
The human is committing too much to a powerful, but wide strike.
I duck in to the side, and collect all my strength into a final blow.
It’s all or nothing, and I am giving it my all.
My fist connects with the human’s jaw, and he is thrown back, landing on his back on the ground.
He’s down!
I made him go down!
I’m panting furiously as the judge is counting him out. If he gets up now, I’m done for. I have no strength left.
“9! 10! AND HE’S OUT! THE MATCH HAS ENDED IN A WAY NO ONE SAW COMING! ONE OF THE PEACEFUL FRENNECS HAS KNOCKED DOWN A HUMAN! THIS IS INCREDIBLE, PEOPLE! WE HAVE A WINNER!”
The judge raises my arm as I stand there panting.
The human starts to rise, and I can see him giving me a slight smile.
“Well fought, poofy.”
We shake hands again, before the Human jumps out of the ring again with just as much energy as he had entered it.
He seemed not even affected by the knockout!
I had to wait for more than a few minutes for my stamina to return to me.
I got changed back into my regular clothes after a long shower. My fur is slick towards my body as I grab the credit chip with my new earnings, and I feel all bubbly on the inside.
I had won.
With this, I could pay off my debts, and pay for my mate’s final treatments.
It was incredible! I felt like a child again, all giddy and happy.
I walk towards the fighters’ exit, and close the door firmly behind me.
“Hey you! Champion!”
The voice was full of rage, and I froze up.
“Oh wait, I guess it’s ex-champion now, you piece of shit. I put good money on you winning, and then you go down like that? To a fucking Frennec? You know what? You’re going to pay me back every cent of that money.”
Now I was sure the voice wasn’t talking to me, and I peeked around a corner.
There I saw the human, Jonah, surrounded by youtun gangsters!
The huge, lizard creatures looked to be even larger than the Human, who stood at a relaxed pose in the center of them.
Holy shit! I had to save him!
I felt my legs fail me.
I couldn’t save him.
There were too many of them! I had barely managed to win against one of them in the ring, and that was sheer luck.
I couldn’t hope to take on two, let alone the six of them that stood out there.
I prayed to Malaara to protect the human.
“You know what? I don’t owe you anything. It’s not my fault you bet and lost.”
Was he talking back to them?
They were six! Surrounding him! Did he have a death wish?!
I saw the youtun leader snarl.
“Let’s see what you say about that in five minutes. Get him, boys!”
The large youtun begin their attack as one, and I felt so powerless.
I was about to see the human die, just because I had won against him.
I had never intended for anyone to get hurt! I only did this to save my mate and myself!
Suddenly, the human was a blur of motion, and I could hear a violent crack as a youtun was sent flying by a massive punch to his cheek.
What was this? The human seemed so fast, so strong.
He hadn’t been even close to this in the ring!
It takes him one minute to down all the youtun thugs, and he’s now standing face to face with the youtun boss.
“How?! If you can fight like this, how could you lose?!”
The human smiles at the lizard.
“I’m an entertainer. If I fought like this in the ring, the fights would be over too quick. Besides, the kid looked like he needed a win.”